Monologs of a Water Tiger

Category Archives: MUSINGS + SCRIBBLINGS

“The meaning and purpose of life become clearer when we look closer at the ants and the bees. As earthlings, we are all destined to build kingdoms just like they do, their many molehills and hives, amidst all the grandeur the kingdom of God has to offer. Except that as people, our ways are a little more complex than theirs given that we were deprived of feathers,furs and fins but was endowed with grey matters significantly larger than theirs. And we got sidetracked somehow whilst building the biggest molehill on earth, we wanted it to touch the Sky. But as the story goes, God did not allow it to happen. Anyway, so eventually, the whole world will, if fate would have it, come together as one, if all of us fight for a common good to save our planet from destruction, and build and build sensible things within and beyond. What we do with ourselves daily as we contribute to the growth is the little little rejoices and surprises we are rewarded with for efforts well spent just like the ants and the bees, occasionally stumbling upon some exotic nectar, or upsets even, as they fall into pit-holes and traps.”

“There are things too personal to be disposed of, not unless one is in dire straits. If an auction house values its integrity, they should be more stringent in accepting consignments, otherwise they’ll suffer the risk of being labeled a dumping ground. Sketches, prints of all types, posters, studies, generally they cluster into a special category called ephemera or paraphernalia acceptably but separately categorized inside the same catalogue. There are cases where consignors needs to force sell, and cases where auction houses are coerced to sell, but there too are situations whereby collectors scale down or inherited properties disposed of because the heir is not keen about art. But even-though so, it is the duty of responsible auction houses to advise the courts in the case of force-sell or in other cases, the would-be consignor, the fair market value of the property consigned. Fair market value is determined by the art appraiser using approved formulas. Not by the whims and calls of the consignor nor the auction house. That said, malice becomes the glaring motive when an auction house especially an experienced one being aware of the fair market value, agrees to an undervalued consignment from an experienced consignor.

Going back to the first point, the consignment is more a case of ethics than anything else but it could be better handled by the auction house otherwise misunderstanding will occur.

As for the undervalued estimates of other properties under consignment, force selling, selling off an old investment and disposing inherited properties are all acceptable reasons, very frequent appearing as ‘No Reserve’ lots, but they need to be investigated on a case by case basis by the auction house concern. Galleries and living artists are frequent victims of such irresponsible estimates.

But if a collector insists that he can do whatever he wants since he owns the artwork, or the auction house insist that they can call whatever price they want despite the resources available for reference, then it is perfectly correct to imply that their motives are intended. For the fact that every action is a manifestation of one’s intention.”

Make me God and I shall make long eyelashes essential in my creations. For those who has them, you’d understand how it feels when it wipes the surface of your eyeglasses every now and then. Just like wipers on car screens.

Some women thought that man only cares for looks. Until they were dumped years later for women whose maturity cradles his insecurity, whose humor tickles his fantasy, and whose wit conserves his legacy.

“Lift off the veil and you’d see clearer. Take off your shoes and you’d understand pain. For what which has clouded you from truth and what which has protected you from thorns, is what that has basked you in comfort all this while, blinding you with false reasonings. Take them all off and wisdom shall once again, be yours”.

Taste is the ability to judge what is beautiful, good and proper. It is aesthetically driven. Not by the most exquisite of brands. But by the ability to juggle form, color, texture, patterns and space well. Not everyone has taste. That’s why brands sell.

The results of the last GE was spectacular. There was new found hope on the faces of everyone and on the streets, there was an air of contentment permeating the grins of passers-by. Malaysians finally rose out from finger fiddling, and overcame its years of intimidation succumbing to the antics of a barbaric regime. Most importantly, the rakyat experience first hand what it was like to be united. Harmony once again became the bedrock of a diversified country once shattered by self centred politicians who divided to rule. Malaysians themselves overcame shame and showed the world, we can bring about change without so much as a bloodshed. There are tears in the eyes of fellow citizens of differing races shaking hands and hugging one another for that momentous victory. Everyone rejoices!

What made that change happened?

On the ground, the new government was brought about by souls getting tired and fed up with rampant corruption happening in broad daylight. Government contracts were awarded to cronies at exorbitant prices and to those accused, the old government offered protectionist policies overpowering the MACC in all its good intentions, and for as long as you are with them, and as long as you are with them, thieving mice all have a hand in the loot. When funds were low, so are their fiscal policies. The old government readied themselves to any country who could save them from the entrapment without considering if such policies could compromise its citizens security or the country’s sovereignty. As if that wasn’t good enough, they got their sidekicks to stir up racial and religious sentiment to shore up support. Polarisation was in full play whilst funds were continually plundered as politicians readied themselves for an ultimate deplete of a lifetime. To glorify themselves by resorting to hooliganism. But as fate would have determined the new winner, in one mighty swoosh that thundered down like Thor’s hammer, the regime was crippled. That swoosh of justice came from the spectacular landslide win given to the previous opposition and their life saving, country saving manifesto. The rakyat became the judge.

But after almost a year of a change in government, the rakyat has witnessed an ironical hattrick win by the opposition in three consecutive by-elections. Three wrongs doesn’t exactly make a right is a popular adage and how true it is thus, what actually went wrong? Let us examine…

The fiasco started with the previous government fanning ill-will riding on religious bigotry heightened by concerns about ICERD and the dangers of one race losing their rights under the new government. That ignited a chain of consoling speeches by the new government, not helped by the black shoe saga and the eponymous flying car slam-dunked in by a gamut of swashbuckling ministers. Further to this are the rate of absorbency re dubious opposition party members switching to the new camp at an alarming rate. That mass infiltration to the public only irks their confidence, one wonders the meaning of a general election when the leopard was already traded for a lion to see the spots of the leopard flung back on the lions torso. Thus, they are technically indifferent. What more, who then would be responsible for the public accounts audit? Why must a flurry of noted clowns with questionable ethics be absorbed into the winning party? This kind of polyandrous mathematics does not bode well with the public who already fulfilled their national obligation by voting them out through the ballot boxes to see them sprung back to life like bobbleheads released from captivity boxes. Subsequent to this, the public were again jolted off their seats by the retracting back of election manifestos annotated inside the new government’s Buku Jingga — one would have suspected it was hindered by our coffer crisis, later to be told that manifestos are merely just manifestos, not to be taken seriously. Not that the public doubted the capability of Tun in handling and managing crisis. But manifestos, like promises, needs to be fulfilled. Holding it back is tantamount to breaking the promises given to the rakyat. Why wouldn’t it be? Should anyone be comfortable with a government that lies to win?

The latest unwise decision involves the relinquishing of our participation in the Rome statute, the reasons which are allegedly tied to the spinning by the old government (now opposition) to garner support from the conservatives. Malaysia Baru, with all its intentions, has readied its citizens for change and the various races saw beyond colors to unite for a common reason — to see Malaysia rise again from the ashes, and the corrupt perpetrators punished, thus the overwhelming landslide mandate given. Resorting to the old ways is akin to keeping new wine in old skins. As the bible says, the old skins would eventually break and vice versa, old wine inside new skins. Today the public also learnt of the upholding of ninety percent of bumi quota into the Matriculation programmes. Would we expect future loyalty from those whom were conveniently side-lined when they scored more than 5 A’s in their SPM, to be designated elsewhere?

As concern Malaysians continues with their humdrum lives, the currency exchange sank into oblivion. It is as if the new government has lost touch with the ground. Not helped by the lack of discourses one could engage with the public which is the bedrock of every democracy. Perhaps what is ground breaking made too big a gap and everything just fell in. Wrong footed policies including the idea of having a Third National Car only gave reasons for the old government to ridicule the new. On the ground, more and more online medias as well as the main ones are spinning stories from where the new policies took off when situations are not fully explained. And without a solid economic transformation that brings value to its citizens, the train jumps off track and with it, the rakyats confidence. Even though some ill gotten gains may have spilled back to the banks during these difficult times. For whatever reasons the innocent were punished for. Thus, whatever that needs to be done to the economy must happen right now. Nothing loses the rakyats confidence more than when it hits their pocket and a government habitually asserting that they lack funds. If that is so, then why the Third National car then?

Last but not the least, if the hattrick win by the current opposition doesn’t convince you that the new government is heading the wrong way thinking that protectionist policies may garner you more votes from the conservatives, think again. The old government would not allow that bouncy image of a new Malaysia splattered in glorious colors except for one. Perhaps you have also forgotten that PAS was pulped during the GE for all the racist goodies they insinuate, not by the non-bumis but by the progressive bumis themselves! And if that hattrick does not convince you enough that you are purportedly going against the wishes of the citizens of a progressive contemporary Malaysia who wanted nothing more than the country saved, nothing else will. The minds of its citizens have changed. And this might be the only chance we ever get back on track!

For all the right things the new government swiftly did that saw the arrest of several crooks and the retrieval of ill-gotten gains in gigantic proportions, it is yet to see them being swiftly brought to justice. And where these monies landed to! We knew that from the way their politicians speak louder today than when they were in the government. But if by the next election, the perpetrators of our sanctity is not punished by the due process of our court, you can bode farewell to the historic support given you. By then this alert would have been history, and the country too late to be saved.

I won’t deny you your pomposity cos really, you’re a child in the making. And you’re becoming seriously good at it. As for me, I see not, nor hear not to your ostentatious kung fu just maybe, you should get your gaudiness patented.

When decent looking people overdresses, they’d look gaudy, not classy. I just wonder the contours behind all those cover up and ponder if you’re really that badly made cos really, I am bewildered with your spasticity. Not that I am being sardonic.

“It is alarming that Chinese has many hidden rules that even I am not aware of. Until I was recently made aware that the paint color used on tombstones, if it is gold, represents dead relatives and red, signifies the living. Thus on the grave of my grandparents, upon my discovery, my beloved cousins, siblings and I, have been dead for more than half a century already . Cant get more incredible than this years Cheng Beng. Drown me please somebody !”

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fiveloaf

I am a child usurped into the vagaries of an enigmatic world. Amidst that humdrum, I found in quiet solitude, a whole new world that I can finally breathe in. A world where there is no distinction between heaven, earth and man- between what is, what is to come and what has been..

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Author/Owner: Kris Lee Since Nov 2009. Blogname: fiveloaf.wordpress.com. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of materials without express or written permission is strictly prohibited. All images and reading materials are strictly author/owner's own unless attributed.